The portraits

[elenhil]

31 minutes ago, Solaris_Wave said:

Maybe one too many of the portraits are featuring tilted heads down and to the right.

OMG, a 100 yeses! The 'direction' of these portraits is very noticeable (the tilt and the harsh lighting), and, unfortunately, one I just happen not to dig.

[Hongweibing]

Can't say that the models/portraits look bad (I feared something much worse could happen in the process of transitioning to 3D, as happend to quite a few games) - I like most of them, even if I'd prefer them to be a bit darker/more "serious" on the whole. One could certainly nitpick some of them, though, as has been already done. So just a few notes: 

- As for Vicki - I wouldn't say it's great, but it's not bad - seems quite similar to her JA1 and DG portrait, just from a different angle (and, well, plus the somewhat excessive use of trinkets, which looks like the result of a midlife crisis - though it does match her character and manner of speech better than the somewhat more restrained portraits in the past).

- Magic's portrait reminds me too much of the protagonist of an old musical/movie (this one), as seen on this poster:

So thanks Haemimont - you managed to ruin the badass image of Magic for me forever 🙂 (kidding - just make him less smiley though)

- Scully looks a bit off with the smile at that angle, as in I wouldn't let him stay in the same room alone with a female merc. But I really think it's just a combination of the smile and the angle.

- At first, Thor looked bad to me, but then I realized that it fits his "alternative medicine" and spirituality schtick quite well - feels like I've seen a bunch of guys like him in India and SE Asia.

The rest look fine, really.

[WILDFIRE]

Guys I think I found out why some portraits feel so out of place. It is fairly simple. The mercs with the good looking portraits wear a outfit and have a facial expression that suits a soldier, the others have casual outfits that no merc usually would wear.

 

We as JA2 players simply expect serious soldier uniforms or tank tops. Most of the casual outfits in JA2 were not visible or color reduced, so in JA3 they are really something new that in my opinion do not fit in the concept.

 

Either all mercs wear soldier outfits or the casual outfits have military elements so that they fit on the battlefield.

 

This mix between casual and military outfits gives the impression that some mercs are on a vacation and the others fight for their lives.

 

That is the reason why some outfits are so distracting. My suggestion is to rework these casual outfits and happy facial expressions and to give these characters a military look. They can still keep their casual outfit but should get equipment on it.

 

For example Vicky: Give her a belt with grenades or just something that gives you the feeling that she is fighting on the battlefield. Right now she looks like a normal mechanic that is working in a car workshop.

 

Some mercs really need a rework so that they also fit in the Africa setting. Ivan for example wears that jacket and hat when it is extremely hot? Not very realistic. I know the devs want to keep the mercs special characteristics and that is good but maybe some can get smaller changes so that they really fit in the setting and on the battlefield.

Edited April 22, 2023 by WILDFIRE

[LoboNocturno]

Crocodile Dundee Flay 😂

 

 

[WILDFIRE]

Now that we have seen that AI is really useful to create lively portraits I hope the devs look into this again and rework the faces, conversations and hire screen.

 

I know when you look at the conversations there is more to do than just using animated faces but I hope we get a better result in the end than just lifeless pictures.

 

Maybe is licensing an AI expensive I do not know but I think that could be a good solution. Some results look amazing (Example in the Known Beta issue thread)